Italy-Albania deal โ€˜will workโ€™ regardless of legal challenges, Meloni says

The Italian prime minister said “all European countries supporting us understand” the potential of similar deals in managing migration at EU level.

What Moldovaโ€™s twin vote means for its EU future and Russiaโ€™s grip

With both Moldova and Georgia heading to the polls, concerns are high in Brussels that either of them could slip into Russiaโ€™s orbit.

โ€˜There is no plan Bโ€™: Moldova faces decisive twin EU vote

Sunday’s vote in presidential polls and EU referendum is seen as choice between a European future or a return to Moscowโ€™s sphere of influence.

Poland may shift stance on Migration Pact in EPP draft statement

A draft statement on political priorities to tackle irregular immigration from EPP countries reveals a likely shift in Polandโ€™s stance.

Migration concerns take centre stage at European Council summit

Join host Giada Santana and senior editor Sarantis Michalopoulos as they dive into the heated discussion on return hubs, bilateral agreements, and the policies that could redefine the future of EU migration.

Germany urges countries to apply EU migration law as Athens takes issue to EUCO

The migration discussion has opened again for good in Europe with Germany preparing to step up the number of asylum seekers that it is sending back to first-line countries while Greece is planning to raise the issue at a summit next month.

EU fumes at rogue Orbรกn, but struggles to rein him in

Brussels is annoyed with Budapest, but Hungary’s leader seems to know exactly how far he can go without drawing real consequences.

Von der Leyenโ€™s next challenge: Fishing for votes, left and right

While Ursula von der Leyenโ€™s bid for the European Commission presidency may have made it through EU27 leaders’ approval, her next big challenge now will be how to woo key parts of the European Parliament. ย 

Georgiaโ€™s accession process to the bloc โ€˜de factoโ€™ halted, EU leaders warn

Georgia’s accession to the bloc has ‘de fact’ been halted after the country’s authorities passed a controversial Russia-style ‘foreign agent’ law, EU leaders warned on Thursday (27 June).

Press release – Metsola to EUCO: โ€œFocus on competitiveness, security & defence and social equalityโ€

โ€œCompetitiveness, security & defence, and social equality are clear electoral messages for the EUโ€™s programmeโ€, said EP President Roberta Metsola to the European Council. Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

BREAKING: EU leaders greenlight top job package with Von der Leyen, Costa, Kallasย 

EU leaders on Thursday gave their political approval to a trio of names – Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Costa, and Kaja Kallas – to lead the EU’s three major institutions over the next five years.

Itโ€™s all about placating Italyโ€™s Meloni as EU leaders start top job talks

EU leaders arriving in Brussels on Thursday (27 June) made last-ditch efforts to placate Italyโ€™s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni but gave little indication that they will change the proposed EU top job package, which had been agreed without her. ย . ย 

EU leaders expected to agree on Von der Leyen, top jobs despite lingering resistance

EU leaders are expected to nominate on Thursday (27 June) incumbent European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as part of a top jobs deal, but some lingering resistance is still expected to be part of the negotiations.

Poland, Baltics call for โ€˜defence lineโ€™ along Europeโ€™s Eastern border

The EU should establish a jointly funded ground defence line on Europe’s eastern border, according to a call from Poland and the three Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. “Extraordinary measures need to be employed as the EU&#821…

EU leaders to decide on top jobs, agenda for next term

EU leaders are gathering in Brussels on Thursday and Friday for the last meeting of this mandate to seal the deal on the distribution of the bloc’s top jobs following the European elections in early June.

EU defence funding plan faces uncertainty ahead of summit

Ahead of an EU summit on Thursday (27 June), the European Commission is scrambling to finalise plans that include ‘innovative solutions’ for funding the bloc’s defence industry, with needs assessment awaited to justify a floated โ‚ฌ500 billion fund.

Negotiators seal EU top job package deal, but still need EU27 approval

EU leaders representing the three main political groups agreed on Tuesday (25 June) on the EU top job package that would put incumbent European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen forward for a second term, Euractiv has learnt.

EU finds legal way to circumvent Hungarian veto on Ukraine support from frozen Russian assets

EU member states approved on Monday (24 June) a decision to use โ‚ฌ1.4 billion in revenue from frozen Russian assets to send military support to Ukraine, after finding a legal way to circumvent a Hungarian veto.

Estoniaโ€™s Kaja Kallas, the Kremlin-critic in the run for EU chief diplomat post

Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has been tipped as the EU’s new chief diplomat in the new top jobs package, but her tough stance on Russia remains an obstacle for some. When EU leaders meet later this week (27-28 June)…

Why EU leaders were forced to delay the blocโ€™s top job deal

European Union member state leaders were not able to seal a preliminary deal for a trio of top job positions for the next five years when they met on Monday, despite earlier hopes there could be a swift agreement.

Czech conservative leader not against von der Leyen, Meloni remains cautious

Despite having only two leaders, the Conservatives, represented by Italyโ€™s Giorgia Meloni and Czechiaโ€™s Petr Fiala, they aim to have a bigger say in the EUโ€™s top jobs allocation, after their allied parties have won a large place in the European Parliam…

What leaders will discuss at European Councilโ€™s dinner

Today, the heads of state and government of the 27 European Union member states will meet at an informal European Council dinner, and one of the topics on the agenda will be who will take the top jobs in the next Commission.

Strategic Agenda: EU leaders look to harness green transition to boost industry

EU leaders meeting in late June will stress the need for a competitive Europe and highlight how the green transition and a genuine energy union can support that aim, according to a draft document seen by Euractiv.

Wilders coalition talks yield new hard-right Dutch government

Euro-skeptic Geert Wilders could be sending his new prime minister to Brussels on his first day at work.

All eyes on France, Germany and Italy as EU top job talks expected to gain traction at G7

When the leaders of France, Germany and Italy meet informally on Thursday (13 June) on the sidelines of the G7 summit for the first time after the EU elections, they are expected to set the tone for the next weeks…

Breaking down the obscure jargon of EU institutions

If ‘Euro English’ has become the unofficial language of the European Union, it is in large part because its building blocks are acronyms, abbreviations, and insider references that have turned communication among politicians, analysts, and lobbyists in…

Charles Michel plots revenge against Ursula von der Leyen

European Council president conspires to secure next top job and thwart his presidential enemy from getting a second term.

A new EU Body for Ethical Standards: Final destination or important interim step?

Markus Frischhut, Jean
Monnet Professor (EU law, ethics and values) at Management Center Innsbruck,
Austria and Adjunct professor at โ€˜Alma Mater Studiorum – Universitร  di Bolognaโ€™,
Italy

Art credit: William Hogarth, An Election: the Polling

 

EU vows to double efforts as Lebanon requests migrant return support

The European Union will support Lebanon, both financially and politically, until the end of 2027, Enlargement and Neighbourhood Commissioner Olivรฉr Vรกrhelyi said amid calls from the Middle East country for help in returning migrants to their country of…

A โ€˜difficultโ€™ summit: Corporate tax, single supervision scrapped from conclusions

European Council president Charles Michel described EU leaders’ competitiveness summit as โ€œdifficultโ€ – as calls for harmonising corporate tax rules and centralising the supervision of financial sector firms were scrapped from the final Council conclus…

EU leaders back new Iran sanctions, pledge more assistance to Ukraine

European Union leaders decided on Wednesday (17 April) to step up sanctions against Iran after Tehran’s missile and drone attack on Israel left world powers scrambling to prevent a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Press release – EP President Metsola at EUCO: The Single Market is Europeโ€™s greatest economic driver

Doubling down on the Single Market ensures Europeโ€™s long-term competitiveness, prosperity and leadership on the global stage, said President Metsola at the Special European Council. Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

EU leaders to urge combating โ€˜overregulationโ€™ to boost blocโ€™s competitiveness

EU leaders meeting in Brussels will call for the blocโ€™s competitiveness to be boosted primarily by easing regulatory requirements and leveraging the power of private capital, according to the latest draft conclusions of the 17-18 April summit and a sen…

EU seeks to avert โ€˜wider warโ€™ in Middle East, zooms in on Lebanon

Following Iranโ€™s first-ever direct attack on Israel, EU leaders and diplomats are increasingly looking at how a major escalation in the Middle East conflict can be prevented, including by focusing on neighbouring countries. The wider situation in the M…

Fearing โ€˜unprecedented escalationโ€™, Europeans condemn Iranโ€™s attack on Israel

Welcome to EURACTIVโ€™s Global Europe Brief, your weekly update on the EU from a global perspective. You can subscribe to receive our newsletterย here. Fears are soaring of a major escalation in the Middle East conflict after Iran’s first-ever direc…

EU leaders to insist on Cyprus talks progress amid calls for two-state solution

EU leaders are expected to stress the importance of making progress in the Cyprus settlement talks, according to draft conclusions, seen by Euractiv, for an EU summit on 17-18 April, amid new calls from Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar for a ‘two-sta…

Ghosts of Beslan

Welcome to EURACTIVโ€™s Global Europe Brief, your weekly update on the EU from a global perspective. You can subscribe to receive our newsletterย here. As the deadly Moscow attack shatters Vladimir Putinโ€™s security promise to Russians, he’ll likely …

EU leaders call for โ€˜immediate humanitarian pause leading to sustainable ceasefireโ€™ in Gaza

Text approved by all 27 leaders also calls for โ€œthe unconditional release of all hostages and the provision of humanitarian assistance.โ€

Green light for Bosniaโ€™s EU talks could be a tough call at summit

EU leaders are set to give the political green light to open accession talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday (21 March), but the outcome still hangs in the balance as several member states aim to tie the decision to progress on Ukraine and Mold…

EU mulls how to proceed on Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina

As EU leaders face a tough call this week whether to move with the next steps for Ukraine and Moldova or risk a delay until after the EU elections, progress on Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to complicate matters further.

EU leaders to call for more sanctions targeting Belarus, North Korea, Iran

EU leaders are next week expected to call for new sanctions targeting Belarus, North Korea, and Iran over their support to Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine as the bloc attempts to further crack down on circumvention by third countries

EU faces pressure to sanction Russian aluminum

Two years after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, 9 percent of EU aluminum imports still hail from Russia.

Post-summit debrief with MEP Daniel Freund: EU power play worked

Minutes after the European Council President Charles Michel announced the agreement for 50 billion euros in Ukraine aid, Euractiv spoke to German MEP Daniel Freund (Greens), who has been among the most outspoken critics of Hungarian Prime Minister Vikt…

Press release – EP President Metsola at EUCO: We owed the Ukraine deal to the people of Ukraine

Support to Ukraine is ultimately also about our own European security, underlined EP President Roberta Metsola at the Special European Council Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP

More agricultural groups planning to rally during EU summit in Brussels

With farmers continuing to block roads and target key infrastructure across Europe, several organisations are planning to further turn up the heat on policymakers and rally outside a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday (1 February).

Macron leaves angry farmers for soon-to-be NATO member Sweden

French President Emmanuel Macron begins a two-day state visit to Sweden on Tuesday (30 January), with the Nordic country on the cusp of becoming a NATO member following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Patience wears thin with Hungary as EU leaders look towards tough Ukraine summit

EU leaders are gearing up to push ahead with a โ‚ฌ50 billion support package this week, with or without Hungary. But many in Brussels realise the step could come at a higher cost than money and time.

EUโ€™s Michel pulls out of European Parliament elections race

In a surprise U-turn, European Council President Charles Michel said on Friday (26 January) that he has decided to withdraw his EU elections candidacy and was planning to complete his mandate.

Pressure grows on Hungary to lift Ukraine funding objections

While Brussels has been working to solve the Hungarian blockade since Prime Minister Viktor Orbรกn vetoed the EU’s Ukraine aid package in December, the bloc’s officials now have prepared a potential compromise in exchange for dropping his veto.ย 

EU leaders face tough talks as Hungary digs in on rejecting Ukraine support

The EU’s common budget should not fund Ukraine, Hungaryโ€™s Prime Minister Viktor Orbรกn said upon arriving in Brussels for a crucial summit on Thursday (14 December), as EU leaders are scrambling to boost their long-term support for Kyiv.

Press release – Metsola at EUCO: Seize this moment for Europe

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, called on Europe to show leadership on enlargement, support to Ukraine and EUยดs long-term budget at the European Council. Source : ยฉ European Union, 2023 – EP

EU looks to appease Hungaryโ€™s Orbรกn with funds payout before Ukraine summit

Brussels is expected to unlock โ‚ฌ10 billion in EU funding for Hungary on Wednesday (13 December), on the eve of a decisive summit on support for Ukraine that Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbรกn has threatened to derail. EU leaders will…

Hungary veto at summit would be โ€˜failure of entire EUโ€™, Ukraine deputy PM warns

Hungaryโ€™s potential veto over financial aid to Ukraine and opening accession talks with Kyiv at the EU summit later this week will be a ‘failure of the entire bloc, not only of one European leader’, Ukraineโ€™s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna sai…

Donald Tusk wins parliamentโ€™s backing to be new Polish PM

Outgoingย PMย Mateusz Morawieckiย lost a vote of confidence on Monday.

EU in disarray over plan to fund Ukraine from frozen Russian assets

Most EU governments reject the idea put forward by Spain, arguing Kyiv would not get the money quickly enough.

Hungaryโ€™s Orbรกn rejects talks on Ukraineโ€™s EU bid

‘There is no place for it on the agenda of the December EUCO!’ Hungarian PM says.

EUโ€™s Michel lands in Kyiv as bloc looks at tough battle on Ukraine aid, accession talks

European Council President Charles Michel arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday (21 November) on yet another reassurance mission by a high-ranking EU official, just three weeks before a decisive end-of-year EU summit over support to Ukraine.

Orbรกn wants Ukraine to โ€˜negotiateโ€™ for military aid cash

SNEAK PEEK โ€” As EU leaders meet again today, Viktor Orbรกn is still refusing to free more cash for military aid to Kyiv. โ€” Ammunition: Beyond the pace of production, the next biggest issue is cost. โ€” In Ukraine, the future of warfare is a $400 drone killing a $2 million tank. Good morning, and [โ€ฆ]

EU member states divided over calls for โ€˜humanitarian pauseโ€™ in Gaza

EU leaders on Thursday (26 October) are expected to call for a ‘humanitarian pause’ in fighting between Israel and Hamas, but the bloc remains divided over the exact wording. After days of negotiations, the latest summit draft communiquรฉ ex…

EU leaders talk Ukraine, Middle East, MFF

SNEAK PEEK โ€” European leaders meet today to discuss Ukraine, the Middle East and the EUโ€™s long-term budget. โ€” EU countries account for 11.5 percent of the worldโ€™s military spending. โ€” Ukraine announces another partnership with a German defense contractor. Good morning, and welcome to Morning Defense. Tips to jposaner@politico.eu, lkayali@politico.eu and clarson@politico.eu or follow [โ€ฆ]

Some differences remain as EU leaders seek cohesion on Israel-Hamas war

EU leaders on Tuesday (17 October) sought to gloss overย their previously contradictory messaging on the Israel-Hamas war as they met for extraordinary talks on the situation in the Middle East. The extraordinary summit had been called after fears that …

Azerbaijanโ€™s Aliyev to skip EU talks with Armenia over France military aid

GRANADA, SPAIN – Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev will not attend EU-brokered talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Spain this Thursday, the country’s state media reported on Wednesday (4 October).